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As Dominick took all the orders, Riss racked her brains for what she’d read about Davenport. He was around forty if she remembered correctly. Never married. No kids. Lots of very high-profile girlfriends. A workaholic and supposedly brilliant in the tech space. He lived in…she couldn’t remember.
“Riss,” he said reaching out and touching her arm.
“I’m sorry, I missed that,” she confessed offering him an apologetic smile.
“I was asking where in the U.S. you live.”
“Oh, New York. And you?”
Vanessa snorted. “Silicon Valley. Where else would he live?”
Heat crept up her neck into her cheeks. “Of course. I should’ve realized.”
“Not at all,” Davenport said. “I have a place in New York where I spend a lot of time. I also have a place in Austin and another in L.A. I travel so much I don’t really live in any one spot.”
“That must be…” She was about to say exhausting but thought the better of it. She didn’t want to insult the man in any way. “Interesting,” she finished lamely.
“It has its moments.”
Dominick arrived and announced dinner was being served. He promised to deliver their drinks to the dining room. They all stood and then headed out the door. Riss waited a beat and followed behind. She had no clue where she was going. Better to follow than lead in this situation.
“Don’t mind Vanessa,” Poppy said as she sidled up to Riss and linked her arm through Riss’s. “She’s an awful flirt and can be quite annoying but she’s also good fun.”
What was she supposed to say to that? “Thanks for the tip.” She decided it was safer to ask about birding than talk about the other guests. “What birds do you hope to see in Africa?”
Poppy launched into her plan and began to list all kinds of birds and where she hoped to find them. They arrived in the dining room and she was going to ask Poppy to sit with her when she realized there was only one table set so they were all going to eat together. Somehow Davenport had maneuvered Vanessa to sit on his right while he stood and pulled out the chair to his left. He looked expectantly at Riss.
She was about to offer the seat on her left to Poppy when Cash walked into the room. He took one look at the situation and his expression flattened. The pulse in his jaw beat double-time and Riss knew instinctively he was pissed that Davenport was holding out her chair. Well, tough shit. She smiled big at Davenport and thanked him as she sat.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Cash murmured something to Poppy who blushed and then moved over one seat. She smiled at Cash as he held her chair for her. When he settled next to Riss, her body reacted strongly to his presence. Damn hormones. He’d swapped his jeans and sweater for dark-gray dress pants and a snowy white shirt. His hair was damp and he smelled divine. She was pretty sure it was a scent by Bulgari. One of her favorites. Not that she knew many scents but this one had been worn by a particularly attractive doctor who’d hit on her. She’d flirted right back until she’d found out he was married.
She glanced at Cash and met his gaze. Heat flew up her cheeks as she took in the anger in his eyes. Well, what the hell did he expect? Was she supposed to hide in her room the whole time? He’d said she had to stay in the house. He never said she had to stay in her room. Weren’t the Society facilities supposed to be the safest places?
Davenport had been talking to her again and she’d totally missed it. The man was going to think she was an idiot if she didn’t start paying attention. “I’m sorry?” she said with a frown.
He cocked an eyebrow at her. “I said you seem a bit tense. Is everything okay?”
Riss met his gaze. He was an attractive, intelligent man. She could do a lot worse than pay attention to him. “Oh, I’m fine. A lot going on. I’m sure you know what that’s like. Some days it’s a struggle to disengage my brain.”
He grinned. “I understand completely. Let me know if I can help you in any way. I would be happy to try my hand at distracting you.” He’d pitched his voice low, but his meaning was unmistakable.
Being hit on by an attractive man, especially one that was so successful, was a bit of a thrill. She smiled her thanks. “I might take you up on that.”
“I look forward to it,” he murmured and continued to hold her gaze.
“Derek, darling, what do you think about what Daniel is saying?
With a frown, Davenport tore his gaze away and started chatting in the other direction. Riss let out a small sigh. It had been nice to be distracted even if it was only for a moment. She glanced around and everyone else seemed engaged in conversation or looking at the menu. She was opening hers when Cash’s voice sounded in her ear.
“Don’t trust him. Don’t get involved. It won’t end well. You should’ve stayed in your room.”
She kept her eyes on the menu. She wasn’t going to engage with him over this.
“You’re in over your head, Larissa. You should strive to remember that.”
“Walker,” Daniel Dimon said over the din of conversation, “what’s the story on the gunshot?”
